This invention relates to substituted pyrimidines which are useful for the treatment of hypertension. They achieve this by antagonizing the effects of angiotensin II; the active component of the renin angiotensin system.
Angiotensinogen is converted to angiotensin I by the action of the enzyme renin. Angiotensin II (A II) is formed by angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) acting on angiotensin I. A II is a powerful vasocontrictor and is implicated as the cause of high blood pressure in a number of species including man. A II elicits these vasopressor responses by acting as specific receptor sites. The compounds described in this invention compete with A II for these receptor sites, thus antagonizing the vasopressor effects of A II.